1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to funnels and more particularly to that class designed to be disposed after a single use.
1. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art abounds with funnels of diverse constructional details. U.S. Pat. No. 2,100,888 issued on Nov. 30, 1937 to O. L. Vine teaches a scored fan-like pseudo-flexible sheet of material adapted to be joined together at the divergent marginal edges thereof. A dispensing port is formed at the ends of the divergent marginal edges closest to each other whilst a fluid collecting port is formed at the marginal edges adjacent the ends of the divergent marginal edges furthest apart from one another. A pair of tabs disposed on the marginal edges adjacent to the ends of the divergent marginal edges most widely spaced apart, form handles and stiffeners for the assembled funnel. This apparatus suffers the difficulty of requiring the assembly of the divergent marginal edges to each other prior to use, thus increasing either the use time or the pre-use volume occupied by the apparatus after assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,318 issued on Mar. 23, 1971 to T. N. Garland discloses a flat sheet having a symetrical pattern of marginal edge shapes and score lines. The apparatus serves the particular function of being a urine specimen collection aid. It is folded up by convoluting the corners in accordion style so as to provide a large collecting mouth and an attached scoop-like structure disposed adjacent to the outermost marginal edges and a small dispensing port about an inner marginal edge, utilized to dispense collected urine into a vial or test-tube. The shape of the marginal edges enable the apparatus to be placed adjacent the body of the user so as to have the peripheral edges of the folded up shape comply with the shape of the body surrounding the urethral track.
Each of the aforementioned Patents suffers the common deficiency of requiring the user to perform not one, but a series of steps to fold up and prepare the apparatus so as to permit it to function as a funnel. Furthermore, the aforementioned apparatus requires scoring of the material comprising the apparatus, thus increasing costs of manufacture and precluding variations in the use due to the constrained shape of the apparatus.